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-   -   How is the actual "arrival" time of a flight determined? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1202036-how-actual-arrival-time-flight-determined.html)

david55 Apr 4, 2011 6:17 pm
How is the actual "arrival" time of a flight determined?
 
Is it wheels hitting the tarmac or the time the plane arrives at the gate?

DavidDTW Apr 4, 2011 9:25 pm
Scheduled dep/arr times are from gate to gate.

ESflyer Apr 4, 2011 9:29 pm
Good question. It ought to be arrival at the gate, since an hour waiting for a gate to open is certainly possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.

CPRich Apr 4, 2011 9:48 pm
ACARS - The "out" time starts when the captain drops the parking brake with the main cabin door closed. The "in" time is recorded as the last time the parking brake was applied. The main cabin door opening sends a signal that transmits the "in" time.

B747-437B Apr 5, 2011 1:15 am
Originally Posted by david4455 (Post 16160480)
Is it wheels hitting the tarmac or the time the plane arrives at the gate?
It depends on the country and in some cases on the specific airline.

I've had to report arrival stats for the same flight to different jurisdictions with different methodologies.

CPRich Apr 5, 2011 9:05 am
From BTS, which I believe provides at least the US data (DOT Air Travel Consumer Report):

How are flight delays calculated?
A flight is counted as "on time" if it operated less than 15 minutes later the scheduled time shown in the carriers' Computerized Reservations Systems (CRS). Arrival performance is based on arrival at the gate. Departure performance is based on departure from the gate.

14CFR234.4
(e) Actual arrival, departure and elapsed times shall be measured by
the times at which the aircraft arrived at and departed from the gate or
passenger loading area.

and I believe "at the gate" and "from the gate" are as defined above, as I can't fund further definition of "from the gate" and "at the gate" in the CFR.

B747-437B Apr 5, 2011 12:12 pm
In the UK, it used to be calculated as runway time plus/minus the average taxi time for that particular airport in the previous year. They abandoned that thankfully in 2007 but went to something equally obscure and meaningless.

PropWasher Apr 5, 2011 6:58 pm
Brakes on Brakes off.


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